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AACN Applauds New International Study that Confirms Strong Link Between Nursing Education and Patient Outcomes

WASHINGTON --(Business Wire)--

The American
Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) applauds new research
published today in The
Lancet, which shows that patients experiencing complications
after surgery are more likely to live if treated in hospitals with
adequate nurse staffing levels and higher numbers of nurses prepared at
the baccalaureate degree level. Following a review of more than 420,000
patient records in 300 hospitals spanning nine European countries, the
study authors found that a 10% increase in the proportion of nurses
holding a bachelor's degree in an acute care setting is associated with
a 7% decrease in the risk of death in discharged patients following
common surgeries, such as knee replacements, appendectomies, and
vascular procedures.

"These findings significantly augment the growing body of research,
which shows that quality patient care hinges on having a well-educated
nursing workforce," said AACN President Jane Kirschling. "The study
results add a new level of urgency to calls from the Institute of
Medicine, the American Organization of Nurse Executives, AACN, and other
authorities for increasing the number of baccalaureate-prepared nurses
available to enhance patient safety and healthcare quality."

Led by Dr. Linda Aiken from the University of Pennsylvania School of
Nursing, this study is titled Nurse Staffing and Education and
Hospital Mortality in Nine European Countries: A Retrospective
Observational Study. The research findings published in today's Lancet
mirror those from similar studies conducted by Dr. Aiken and others in
U.S. hospitals. For more details about this important research effort,
see http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2813%2962631-8/abstract.

Dr. Aiken published her first article on the connection between
baccalaureate-prepared nurses and patient outcomes in the September 2003
issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). Findings
from this landmark study show that patients experienced significantly
lower mortality and failure to rescue rates in hospitals with higher
proportions of baccalaureate-prepared nurses. In her analysis, Dr. Aiken
stated that the study's results "suggest that employers' efforts to
recruit and retain baccalaureate-prepared nurses in bedside care and
their investments in further education for nurses may lead to
substantial improvements in the quality of care."

Since the release of this groundbreaking research, almost a dozen
additional studies have been published, which validate these conclusions
and confirm that nursing education is a factor in saving lives. Some of
these studies include:

In an article published in the March 2013 Health Affairs, nurse
researcher Ann Kutney-Lee and colleagues foundthat a 10% increase in
the number of nurses educated at the baccalaureate level in hospitals
was associated with an average reduction of 2.12 deaths for every
1,000 patients-and for a subset of patients with complications, an
average reduction of 7.47 deaths per 1,000 patients.

In the February 2013 Journal of Nursing Administration, Dr.
Mary Blegen and colleagues found that patients in hospitals with a
higher percentage of RNs with baccalaureate degrees had lower
incidents of congestive heart failure mortality, decubitus ulcers,
failures to rescue, and shorter lengths of stay.

In a 2008 study, University of Michigan professor Dr. Christopher
Friese and colleagues examined the impact of nursing education level
and the practice environment on outcomes for cancer patients
undergoing surgery. Nurses prepared at the baccalaureate level were
linked with lower mortality and failure-to-rescue rates.

Researchers at the University of Toronto found that hospitals with
higher proportions of baccalaureate-prepared nurses tended to have
lower 30-day mortality rates. The findings indicated that a 10%
increase in the proportion of baccalaureate-prepared nurses was
associated with 9 fewer deaths for every 1,000 discharged patients.

For more research linking patient outcomes to nursing education and
support for baccalaureate level education, see the following AACN
resources:

Position Statement: The Baccalaureate Degree in
Nursing as Minimal Preparation for Professional Practice

http://www.aacn.nche.edu/publications/position/bacc-degree-prep

Encouraging Academic Progression in Nursing

Support for academic progression in nursing - a key recommendation in
the Institute of Medicine's (IOM) 2010 report on the Future of
Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health - is now widely embraced
by most U.S. organizations, employers, and opinion leaders interested in
moving the nursing profession forward. The evidence-based findings in
the IOM report present a clear argument for supporting national, state,
and local efforts to advance the formal education of today's registered
nurse. Reaching the IOM report's goal of preparing at least 80% of the
nation's RN workforce at the baccalaureate or higher degree level by
2020 will require innovative solutions and collective action among all
parties engaged in the development of future generations of nurses.

"AACN is committed to working collaboratively with partners across the
educational continuum to raise the education level of the RN workforce
with the goal of enhancing both clinical competency and care delivery,"
added Dr. Kirschling. "Encouraging all nurses to continue their
education serves the best interests of our patients."

To read more about the growing support for academic progression, see:

Joint Statement on Academic Progression for Nursing Students and
Graduates

The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) is the
national voice for university and four-year college education programs
in nursing. Representing more than 740 member schools of nursing at
public and private institutions nationwide, AACN's educational,
research, governmental advocacy, data collection, publications, and
other programs work to establish quality standards for bachelor's- and
graduate-degree nursing education, assist deans and directors to
implement those standards, influence the nursing profession to improve
health care, and promote public support of baccalaureate and graduate
nursing education, research, and practice. www.aacn.nche.edu